Gorilla Trekking Tips for the Seniors and Elderly

Senior, Elderly, and disabled travelers can trek gorillas without difficulty!  Are you a senior /elderly traveler planning a gorilla trekking safari? Are you searching for gorilla trekking tips for seniors? No worry, Superfine Safaris Limited is here to answer your questions. It’s undeniable that gorilla trekking is a dream come true for most travelers, including seniors.  Globally, an encounter with the endangered mountain gorillas in their natural habitat is a life-changing experience. Senior/elderly travelers can absolutely enjoy gorilla trekking safely and comfortably.  Check the following gorilla trekking tips for the senior/Elderly travelers in Uganda and Rwanda. These tips apply before, during and after gorilla trekking

Tips before you go

Check with your doctor

Senior/elderly travelers are advised to first consult with their medical doctors for a thorough medical check-up before traveling for gorilla trekking. Disclose your health conditions to your doctor and adhere to his/her advice. Also, senior travelers are advised to disclose any challenges they might have for example, any chronicle disease such as heart attacks, asthma or high blood pressure. This guides your doctor in choosing the right medication for you.

Prepare physically

Mountain gorilla trekking entails hiking, which requires physical fitness. Elderly travelers are therefore advised to prepare physically to ensure a moderate level of fitness. A few weeks or days to the trip, senior travelers are reminded to engage in physical exercises such as walking and hiking. This helps them to strengthen their muscles and also gain balance, making them ready for the gorilla trekking adventure. Other examples of physical exercises recommended for gorilla trekking include light walking for 30-60 minutes per day, strength training focusing on the lower body parts, doing squats if you can, stair climbing to prepare you for the steep hiking and stretching to help you reduce muscle stiffness and improve flexibility

Book and confirm your trip in advance

Senior travelers are also reminded to book and confirm their gorilla trekking tours in advance. The advised time is between three to six months prior to enable enough time for preparations. Booking in advance also gives tour operators enough time to contact the respective park authorities and inform them about the health conditions for travelers. This gives senior/elderly travelers high chances of getting easy to trek gorilla families since their condition is known already. Gorilla treks are categorized into short, medium, and long treks. seniors travelers are fit for short gorilla treks

 Choose the Right Location

As a senior traveler, I endeavor to compare and choose the right gorilla destination.  Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, especially in the Rushaga and Ruhija regions, is rated to be more senior-friendly region for gorilla trekking.

Gorilla trekking tips during the Trek

These tips apply when senior travelers are already in the gorilla trekking destination, ready to meet the gentle giants. These include

Hiring a porter

Senior/elderly gorilla trackers are advised to hire a porter! Porters are local people who help you carry bags to and from gorilla trekking. Also, porters help to offer a hand on steep slopes, slippery grounds, and when crossing water streams in the jungle. This support helps senior travelers to conserve energy and maintain stability. Also, hiring a porter is an indirect way of supporting local people, earning them an income to support their families and improve their standards of living

Consider a Sedan Chair:

Sedan chairs are a big deal for senior travelers who are not able to walk for long distances. Here, a team of experienced locals carries a traveler on a sedan chair to and from the jungle. This saves elderly travelers from muscle pulls and other issues related to hiking. After reaching the gorillas, the traveler is put down to allow him/her to enjoy this magical encounter. He/she will then be carried down after an hour with the gorillas. Hiring a sedan chair ranges between $300 to $500 per person.

Do Not Rush

Senior/Elderly travelers are also advised to pace themselves during a hike to see mountain gorillas. Do not rush or feel pressured by anyone! The ranger guides normally move at the pace of the slowest person in the group. Also, take breaks when needed and listen to your body. Do not force yourself to hike if you feel you cannot push further

Pack the right attire for gorilla trekking

Just like other people visiting gorillas, senior/elderly travelers are advised to pack the right attires for their gorilla trips to Uganda and Rwanda. The recommended gears include hiking boots with ankle support, long-sleeved shirts to protect your hands from bush scratches, hand gloves to protect your precious hands, rain jacket for the forest rains, and warm sweaters/jumps for cold nights. Also, you are reminded to carry energy-giving snacks and drinking water to keep you strong

Walking sticks are highly recommended for senior /elderly gorilla trackers

Lastly, communicate with your guide on how you feel. Endeavor to update your ranger guide on your situation. If you feel extremely tired to push on, communicate, if you feel unwell, let them know and you will have a memorable stress-free gorilla trekking adventure

Best gorilla trekking companies for senior travelers

Superfine Safaris Limited is the best and reliable gorilla safari company for senior travelers. We specialize in gorilla trekking for the elderly and other energetic travelers to Uganda and Rwanda. Contact us today, update us on your travel interest, and we shall customize your gorilla safari itinerary at affordable rates